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SMITH 


COLORADO  RIVER 


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iUNCiiOFT 

USKARY 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2007  with  funding  from 
IVIicrosoft  Corporation    . 


http://www.archive.org/details/coloradoriverariOOsmitrich 


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The  University  of  Arizona 

COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station 

Bulletin  No.  95 


'S  V 


View  of  Diamond  Creek  dam  site,  looking  upstream. 

THE  COLORADO  RIVER  AND  ARIZONA'S  INTEREST 
IN  ITS  DEVELOPMENT 

By  G.  E.  p.  Smith 


Tucson,  Arizona,  February  25,  1922 


ORGANIZATION 


BOARD  OF  REGENTS 
Ex-Offlcio  Members 

BIB  EXCELLENCY,  THOMAS   E.   CAMPBELL,   Governor  of  Arizona , Phoeni* 

HON,  ELSIE  TOLES,  State  Superintendent  of  Public  instruction Phoenix 

Appointed  Members 

JOHN   H.   CAMPBELL.   LL.M..    Chance. lor Tucson 

JAMES   G,  COMPTON,   Secretary Tucson 

ItOSE    DRACHMAS.    Tivasurer Tucson 

TIMOTHY  A.    RiORDAN Flagstaff 

EDMUND   W.    WELLS Prescott 

LOUIS  D.    RICKETTS,    Sc.D.,    LL.D Warren 

ESTMER    W.    HUDSON Tempe 

DWIGHT    B.    HEARU Phoenix 


DEAN  FRANCIS  C.  LOCKWOOD,   Ph.D Chairman,   Executive   Oominitt«t 


AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

D.  W,    WORKING,    B.Sc,   A.M Dean  College   of   Agriculture 

JOHN  J.  THORNBER,  A.M Director  Experiment  Station,   Botanist 

•BOELERT  H.   FORBES,    I'h.D Research   Specialist 

ALBERT  E.  VINSON,   Ph.D Agricultural  Chemist 

GEORGE  E.  P.  SMITH,  B.S.,  C.E Irrigation  Engineer 

RICHARD  H.  WILLIAMS,  Ph.D Animal  Husbandman 

WALTER  S.  CUNNINGHAM,  B.S Dairy  Husbandman 

CHARLES  T.    V^OrtHlES,   Ph.D Entomologist 

GEORGE    E.    THOMPSON,    B.S. A Agronomist 

FRANKLIN  J.  CRIDER,  M.S Horticulturist 

WALKER  E.   BRYAN,   M.S Plant   Breeder 

JAMES  G.  BROWN,  M.S ...Plant  Pathologist 

ROYAL  B.  THOMPSON,  B.S. A Poultry  Husbandman 

CLIFFORD    N.    OATLIN,    A.M Associate    Agricultural    Chemist 

WILLIAM    E.   CODE,   B.S.C.E Assistant   Irrigation   Engineer 

ALLEN   F.    KINNISON,    B.S. A Assistant   Horticulturist 

RALPH   S.    HAWKINS,    B.S. A Assistant   Agronomist 

ELIAS  H.  PRKSSLEY,  B.S Assistant  Plant  Breeder 

HAROLD  C.  SCHWALEN,  B.S.M.E Assistant  Irrigation  Engineer 

ERNEST   B.    STANLEY.   B.S Assistant   Animal   Husbandman 

DAVID   W.   ALBER  r.   B.S Assistant  Horticulturist 

STANLEY  P.  CLARK,   B.S ...Assistant  Agronomist 

RICHARD  N.  DAVIS.  B.S Assistant  Dairy  Husbandman 

Experimental   Farm  Foremen 

O.  J.  WOOD Salt   River  Valley  Farm,   Mesa 

T.  L.  STAPLEY Tempe  Date-Palm  Orchard,  Tempe 

LESLIE  BEATY,  B.S Yuma  Valley  and  Mesa  Farms,  Yuma 

CARL    CLARK,    B.S Prescott    Dry-Farm,    Prescott 

P.  G.  GRAY Sulphur  Spring  Valley  Dry-Farm,  Cochise 

J.  R.  REED University  of  Arizona  Farm,   Tucson 

AGRICULTURAL  EXTENSION    SERVICE 

W.  M.  COOK.   A.K State  Leader  County  Agricultural   Agents  Director 

A.  B.   BALLANTYNE,   B.S Assistnnt  in"  Club  nnd   Coiintv  Airent  Work 

ALICE  V.  JOYCE State  Leader  of  Home  Demonstration  Agents 

County  Home  Demonstration  Agents 

EVALYN   A.    BENTf>EY.    B.S.    (Pima   and    Santa  Cruz) Tucson 

FLOSSIE  D.  WILLS,  B.S.    (Maricopa) Phoenix 

ROSA   BOUTON,   B.S..   A.M.    (North  Counties) Prescott 

GRACE   RYAN    (Southeast   Counties) Douclas 

ROBERTA  SINCLAIR,  B.S.,  M.A.    (Yuma  and  Greenlee) Yuma 

County  Agricultural  Agents 

O.    R.   AD AMSOV.   B.S.    (Cochise) Willcox 

P.    A.   OHISHOLM.    B.S.    (Coconino) FlagstaflT 

H.  O.   HEARD.    B.S.    (Mancopn ) Phoenix 

O.  R.   FILLERUP   (Navnio  and   Apache)..,. Snowflake 

0.    B.    BROWN.   B.S.    (Pima) Tucson 

E.  8.  TURVTLLE  (Pinal)..... Casa  Grande 

0.   D.   PICKRELL,   B.8.A.    (Yavapai) Prescott 

A.   Z.  SMITH.   B.S.    (Santn   Cruz) Nogales 

J.  W.  WRIGHT.  B.S.   (Graham) SafTord 

W.  P.  GILPIN.  B.S.    rOreenlfp^ Duncan 

J.    E.    MUNDELL.    U.S.A.    (Yuma) Y'uma 

*0b  leave. 


SC3 


The  Colorado  River  and  Arizona's  Interest 
in  Its  Development* 

By  G.  B.  P.  Smith 

It  is  nearly  four  hundred  years  since  Spanish  explorers  discov- 
ered the  canyons  of  the  Colorado  River.  During  these  centuries  man- 
kind has  coped  with  many  problems  and  has  surmounted  great  obsta- 
cles. But  the  six  hundred  mile  stretch  of  canyon  of  the  Colorado  of 
the  West  is  still  under  nature's  control.  No  stone  has  been  turned  to 
impede  the  flow  of  water;  no  revolving  wheel  converts  the  power  of 
the  flood  to  useful  purposes. 

The  development  of  the  great  river  is  a  stupendous  problem. 
Not  alone  is  the  layman  staggered  by  the  difficulties  involved  and 
by  the  immensity  of  the  stakes,  but  the  engineer  is  challenged  and  is 
struggling  to  conceive  of  the  gigantic  works  that  are  required,— dams 
of  twice  the  height  of  the  highest  dam  yet  attempted,  reservoirs 
twelve  to  twenty  times  as  large  as  the  largest  artificial  reservoir  in 
the  world,  and  power  generation  on  a  prodigious  scale. 

GEOGRAPHY  AND  IRRIGABLE  LANDS 

Before  presenting  the  problems  of  the  Colorado  River  it  may  be 
helpful  to  review  the  geography  of  the  region  and  to  present  a  digest 
of  the  character  and  extent  of  the  water  supply. 

The  drainage  basin  of  the  Colorado  is  shown  in  Fig.  1.  It  in- 
cludes parts  of  seven  states, — ^the  southwestern  part  of  Wyoming,  the 
western  half  of  Colorado,  the  eastern  half  of  Utah,  a  strip  along  the 
west  side  of  New  Mexico,  all  of  Arizona  except  the  southeast  comer, 
the  southeast  part  of  Nevada,  and  the  southeast  edge  of  California, — 
in  all,  251,000  square  miles.  The  watersjied  on  the  east  side  of  the 
basin  is  the  Continental  Divide,  from  the  Mexican  boundary  line 
almost  to  Yellowstone  Park.  All  of  the  northern  half  of  the  basin, 
and  part  of  the  southern  half,  consists  of  high,  mountainous  country, 
on  which  there  is  a  heavy  annual  precipitation. 

Until  a  year  ago  that  part  of  the  stream  system  draining  western 
Colorado  was  called  the  Grand  River.     In  the  southeastern  part  of 

•An  address  delivered  at  the  Annual  Farm  and  Home  Week  at  Tucson,  January  18,  1§22, 
It  was  voted  by  the  audience  that  the  address  should  be  published,  and  in  response  to  ti»e 
widespread  demand  for  authentic  information  on  the  subject,  the  paper  is  included  in  the 
kulletiB  series.  —Publication  Committte. 


530  Bulle:tin  95 

Utah  that  stream  unites  with  the  Green  River,  the  head  waters  of 
which  are  in  Wyoming.  Below  the  junction  of  the  Grand  and  the 
Green  the  stream  was  called  the  Colorado.  A  year  ago,  by  Congres- 
sional action,  the  name  of  the  Grand  was  changed  to  Colorado;  pre- 
sumably geography  and,  ultimately,  public  usage  will  adopt  the  new 
name  for  the  upper  river.  The  principal  tributaries  below  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Green  and  the  Grand  are  the  San  Juan,  flowing  westerly 
from  the  northwest  corner  of  New  Mexico ;  the  Little  Colorado,  which 
drains  the  north  side  of  the  MogoUon  Rim  in  Arizona;  and  the  Gila, 
which  drains  the  central  and  southern  parts  of  Arizona. 

In  the  upper  basin,  that  is,  the  basin  above  the  Grand  Canyon, 
there  is  a  large  area  of  land  under  cultivation,  about  1,500,000  acres, 
mostly  on  the  headwaters  and  tributaries  where  diversions  from  the 
streams  are  easily  accomplished.  The  irrigation  of  the  land,  however, 
requires  comparatively  little  water,  on  account  of  the  high  altitude, 
cold  climate  and  short  growing  season,  and  part  of  the  water  applied 
returns  underground  to  the  streams.  An  even  greater  area,  now 
idle,  is  susceptible  of  irrigation,  part  of  it,  however,  at  such  high  cost 
as  to  make  the  projects  of  doubtful  feasibility.  Studies  made  by  the 
United  States  Reclamation  Service  indicate  that  the  irrigated  area  in 
the  upper  basin  will  be  increased  to  3,000,000  acres. 

In  the  lower  basin,  below  the  Grand  Canyon,  the  areas  irrigated 
in  1920  included  39,000  acres  between  Needles  and  Yuma,  mostly  on 
the  California  side;  54,000  acres  in  the  Yuma  project;  415,000  acres 
in  the  Imperial  Valley;  and  190,000  acres  south  of  the  international 
boundary  line, — a  total  of  698,000  acres.  This  total  is  almost  exactly 
double  the  acreage  irrigated  in  1913,  showing  the  rapid  rate  of  in- 
crease in  the  use  of  water  in  the  lower  basin.  The  possible  extension 
of  irrigation  in  the  lower  basin  has  not  been  determined  fully,  but 
conservative  estimates  indicate  that  the  following  additional  areas 
can  be  brought  under  irrigation : — 260,000  acres  between  Needles  and 
Yuma,  150,000  acres  of  which  is  on  the  Arizona  side;  76,000  acres 
in  the  Yuma  project;  400,000  acres  in  the  Imperial  and  Coachella 
valleys ;  and  630,000  acres  in  Mexico. 

WATER  SUPPLY 

Engineers  have  methods,  of  comparative  accuracy,  for  measurin|; 
the  quantity  of  water  flowing  in  rivers.    The  record  of  the  flow,  day 


The  Colorado  River  and  Its  Development 


531 


Fig.  1.     Map  of  drainage  basin  and  river  system  of  the  Colorado  Biver.     The  drainage  baai|i 
is  shown   by  the  shaded   line. 


532  Bulletin  95 

by  day,  month  by  month,  shows  the  extent  of  the  water  supply  and 
its  fluctuations,  and  furnishes  a  basis  for  the  design  of  engineering 
works.  On  the  Colorado  River  and  its  tributaries,  many  gaging 
stations,  at  carefully  chosen  locations,  have  been  kept  for  varying 
periods  of  time,  some  of  the  records  extending  over  twenty-five  years. 

The  records  of  stream  flow  at  Yuma  have  been  kept  since  January, 
1902.  The  gaging  station  is  below  the  mouth  of  the  Gila  River  and 
below  the  Yuma  diversion  dam,  but  above  the  head  gates  of  the  Im- 
perial Canal.  The  average  annual  flow  at  the  gaging  station  for  the 
period  1902-1920  was  17,300,000  acre-feet.  Had  the  present  irrigated 
area  been  under  irrigation  throughout  the  period  of  the  record,  the 
average  annual  flow  would  have  been  about  16,000,000  acre-feet. 
The  average  flow  at  Boulder  Canyon  is  practically  the  same  amount, 
since  diversions  and  losses  between  Boulder  Canyon  and  Yuma  are 
balanced  by  the  inflow  of  tributaries. 

Most  of  the  water  comes  from  the  upper  basin.  At  the  junction 
of  the  Grand  and  the  Green,  the  average  annual  discharge  of  the 
Grand  is  6,900,000  acre-feet,  and  of  the  Green  5,500,000  acre-feet. 
The  Green  and  Grand  and  San  Juan  rivers  together,  though  draining 
less  than  two-fifths  of  the  area  of  the  Colorado  basin,  furnish  86 
percent  of  the  total  water  supply. 

By  far  the  greater  part  of  the  precipitation  in  Colorado  and 
Wyoming  is  in  the  form  of  snow.  During  the  winter  the  snow 
accumulates  to  great  depths.  The  melting  of  the  snow  during  the 
spring  months  produces  a  long  period  of  high  water,  the  annual 
flood,  which  lasts  from  two  to  three  months  and  reaches  its  highest 
point  at  Yuma  usually  in  June.  During  the  June  flood  of  1909,  the 
flow  at  Yuma  reached  150,000  cubic  feet  per  second.  On  June  27, 
1921,  all  previous  June  records  were  broken  by  a  flow  of  186,000 
cubic  feet  per  second.  The  low  water  season  begins  in  August  and 
lasts  from  three  to  seven  months.  The  minimum  flow  at  Yuma  has 
been  below  4000  cubic  feet  per  second  during  several  low-water 
seasons. 

The  Gila  River  drains  an  area  of  57,000  square  miles.  While 
the  average  annual  discharge  of  the  river  is  not  great,  it  is  very 
variable.  In  1916  the  discharge  of  the  river  at  its  mouth  was  4,500,- 
000  acre- feet;  in  some  other  years  the  total  has  been  less  than  100,- 


The  Colorado  Rivkr  and  Its  Development  533 

000  acre-feet.  Short-lived,  "flashy"  floods,  greater  than  the  highest 
peak  floods  in  the  Colorado,  occur  at  times.  The  flow  on  January  16, 
1916,  reached  220,000  cubic  feet  per  second.  It  is  fortunate  that  the 
Gila  floods  do  not  come  at  the  same  time  as  the  Colorado  floods,  in 
May  or  June.  Should  they  coincide,  the  menace  to  the  Yuma  and 
Imperial  valleys  v^ould  be  intensified;  the  levees  would  be  over- 
whelmed. 

RESERVOIR  SITES 

There  are  scores,  hundreds,  of  storage  sites  in  the  middle  and 
upper  parts  of  the  Colorado  basin.  Many  of  them  have  been  sur- 
veyed, and  at  several  of  the  sites  the  depth  to  bedrock  has  been  as- 
certained by  diamond  drilling.  The  Strawberry  Valley  site  in  Utah 
and  the  Roosevelt  site  in  Arizona  and  some  small  sites  have  been 
occupied  already.  For  the  complete  regulation  and  utilization  of  the 
river,  there  are  adequate  natural  opportunities;  the  real  problem  is 
as  to  which  is  the  best.  A  few  of  the  largest  and  most  promising 
sites,  those  which  are  of  greatest  public  interest,  will  be  discussed. 

The  Dewey  reservoir  site  is  situated  on  the  Grand  River  just 
west  of  the  Utah-Colorado  line.  Although  one  of  the  last  to  be  dis- 
covered, it  is  one  of  the  best.  It  is  the  only  site  for  a  large  reservoir 
on  the  Grand  River  except  the  Kremmling,  and  that  site  is  occupied 
by  a  railroad.  The  bedrock  at  the  Dewey  site  is  only  44  feet  below 
the  river  bed,  and  the  capacity  with  a  dam  only  215  feet  high  from 
river  bed  to  spillway  is  2,300,000  acre- feet. 

The  Flaming  Gorge  site  is  on  the  Green  River  in  Utah  just 
south  of  the  Wyoming  line.  The  greatest  depth  to  bedrock  is  73 
feet,  and  a  215-foot  dam  will  impound  3,120,000  acre-feet.  The 
width  of  the  canyon  is  200  feet.  The  Flaming  Gorge  and  the  Dewey 
sites  control  the  most  important  headwaters  of  the  Colorado.  Both 
are  excellent  projects  and  should  be  under  construction  today. 

Another  excellent  site  is  on  the  Yampa  tributary,  near  Juniper 
Mountain.  The  drainage  area  is  small,  but  the  stream  flow  approx- 
imates 1,000,000  acre- feet  of  water  per  year.  A  200- foot  dam  would 
provide  a  capacity  of  1,500,000  acre-feet.  The  depth  to  bedrock  is 
24  feet. 

The  Ouray  reservoir  site  is  on  the  Green  River  a  hundred  miles 
below  the  Flaming  Gorge  site.    This  site  is  remarkable  in  that  a  dam 


534  Bulletin  95 

only  210  feet  high  would  impound  16,000,000  acre-feet  of  water. 
The  greatest  depth  to  bedrock,  a  factor  of  great  influence  on  the  cost 
of  a  dam,  is  121  feet,  and  the  canyon  is  not  narrow.  This  site  should 
be  held  available  by  the  Federal  Government  until  it  is  absolutely 
certain  that  the  site  is  not  needed  in  the  general  scheme  for  develop- 
ment of  the  river.  If  the  site  is  restored  to  entry,  it  will  be  seized  at 
once  by  the  Denver  and  Salt  Lake  Railroad.  The  railway  can  be 
built  around  the  reservoir  site. 

A  reservoir  at  the  junction  of  the  Green  and  the  Grand  has  been 
under  consideration  for  many  years.  It  would  regulate  partially 
both  streams.  A  dam  250  feet  high  would  impound  7,450,000  acre- 
feet.  Borings  were  made  to  120  feet  without  encountering  bedrock. 
It  is  unfortunate  that  the  borings  were  not  carried  somewhat  deeper. 

An  apparently  excellent  reservoir  site  exists  on  the  San  Juan 
near  Bluff,  Utah,  but  its  feasibility  has  not  been  established  by  test 
holes  to  find  bedrock.  A  dam  264  feet  high  would  create  a  reservoir 
of  2,600,000  acre-feet  capacity.  The  accumulation  of  silt  in  this 
reservoir  would  be  very  rapid. 

The  Glen  Canyon,  or  Lee's  Ferry,  site  outclasses  all  other  pro- 
posed sites  in  its  gigantic  possibilities.  The  maximum  development 
contemplates  a  dam  700  feet  high,  450  feet  long  at  the  level  of  the 
river,  and  1400  feet  long  on  top.  The  proposed  slopes  are  one  to  six 
downstream  and  one  to  four  upstream,  making  the  length  of  base  up 
and  down  stream  over  a  mile. .  The  capacity  of  the  reservoir  would 
be  over  50,000,000  acre- feet,  and  86  percent  of  the  entire  water  sup- 
ply of  the  Colorado  basin  would  be  regulated  completely.  Over  a 
million  continuous  horsepower  could  be  developed  without  sacrifice 
of  irrigation  interests.  Complete  surveys  of  the  reservoir  site  have 
been  made  during  the  last  few  months.  No  test  borings  have  been 
made,  and  it  is  stated  that  the  depth  to  bedrock  is  not  a  crucial  matter 
on  account  of  the  radical  character  of  the  dam  contemplated.  Test 
borings  should  be  made  at  once. 

Excellent  dam  sites  exist  in  Cataract  Canyon  and  Marble  Canyon. 
The  project  for  Marble  Canyon  provides  for  a  power  development  of 
1,300,000  horsepower,  but  the  storage  possibilities  are  small.  This 
will  be  the  last  of  the  major  projects  because  of  its  magnitude  and 
high  cost. 


The  Colorado  Rjver  and  Its  Development  535 

On  the  Little  Colorado  River,  there  is  a  dam  site  at  Tolchaco, 
where  the  entire  flood  flow  of  that  stream  can  be  controlled  by  a  dam 
50  feet  high. 

The  site  at  the  mouth  of  Diamond  Creek  is  of  particular  interest 
to  Arizona,  on  account  of  its  favorable  location  and  because  it  is  con- 
trolled by  Arizona  people.  The  site  is  only  16  miles  from  Peach 
Springs,  a  station  on  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad.  It  is  a  power  project 
only,  there  being  practically  no  storage.  Present  plans,  subject  to 
modification,  call  for  a  dam  284  feet  high,  324  feet  above  bedrock,  to 
the  spillway  crest,  and  the  top  of  the  structure  would  be  25  feet  higher. 
About  110,000  horsepower  could  be  developed  with  the  unregulated 
flow  of  the  river,  but  in  case  the  flow  is  equalized  by  a  project  with 
storage  farther  up  the  river,  the  ultimate  power  development  may  reach 
600,000  horsepower.  The  canyon  at  this  site  is  only  220  feet  wide  at 
the  water  level,  and  the  length  of  the  dam  at  the  top  will  be  600  feet, 
about  the  same  as  the  Roosevelt  dam.  The  walls  and  foundation  are 
of  granite.  The  main  electric  transmission  line  would  extend  through, 
or  near,  Prescott,  Phoenix,  Mesa,  Florence,  and  Tucson  to  Douglas,, 
with  important  laterals  to  Jerome,  Ray,  Globe,  Clifton,  A  jo,  and  Yuma. 

The  Roulder  Canyon  site  is  in  a  similar  narrow  canyon  in  granite 
rock.  The  canyon  walls  are  300  feet  apart.  Here  it  is  proposed  to 
build  a  solid  concrete  masonry  dam  600  feet  high,  735  feet  above  bed- 
rock, to  elevation  1300  feet  above  sea  level..  The  capacity  of  the  reser- 
voir is  31,600,000  acre-feet,  and  the  estimated  cost  of  the  dam  alone  is 
$55,000,000.  The  great  depth  to  bedrock  is  the  main  disadvantage  of 
this  site.  While  the  problems  of  carrying  the  foundation  to  so  great 
a  depth  and  of  passing  the  annual  and  occasional  floods  of  the  river 
during  the  construction  period  strike  terror  to  the  heart  of  the  en- 
gineer, the  task  can  be  accomplished  if  adequate  funds  are  provided. 
The  power  development  will  be  700,000  continuous  horsepower  as  long 
as  the  irrigated  area  in  the  lower  basin  does  not  exceed  1,500,000 
acres,  and  will  decrease  to  600,000  horsepower  as  the  acreage  increases 
to  2,000,000  acres. 

The  last  annual  report  of  the  United  States  Reclamation  Service 
states  that  an  inspection  of  the  lower  river  was  made  by  boat  by  Homer 
Hamlin,  a  noted  engineer,  in  April,   1920,  and  that  he  reports  that 


536  Bulletin  95 

there  is  no  good  dam  site  for  a  storage  reservoir  between  Boulder 
Canyon  and  Yuma. 

THE  THREE  GREAT  PROBLEMS 

Three  objects  are  sought  in  the  development  of  the  Colorado  River. 
They  are: — 

1.  Storage  for  flood  protection; 

2.  Storage  to  provide  more  water  for  the  latter  half  of  the 
irrigation  season  and  for  dry  years ;  and, 

3.  Hydro-electric  power. 

The  flood  protection  is  the  main  incentive  which  is  spurring  many 
agencies  to  action.  The  people  of  the  Imperial  Valley,  for  16  years, 
have  been  fighting  a  defensive  battle  against  the  Colorado,  sometimes 
gaining,  sometimes  losing,  but  in  the  main  losing.  They  cannot  hold  out 
tor  many  more  years.  At  least  once  every  year,  in  June,  and  sometimes 
at  other  seasons,  the  river  threatens  to  change  its  course  from  the  Gulf 
of  California  to  the  Imperial  Valley,  as  it  did  in  1905.  The  only  protec- 
tion at  present  is  the  system  of  levees,  called  respectively  the  first, 
second,  and  third  lines  of  defense.  Frequently  the  floods  break  through 
the  first  and  second  lines  and  reach  the  third  line.  Each  year  the  river, 
through  silt  deposition,  builds  up  that  part  of  the  alluvial  fan  in  front 
oi  the  levees,  in  some  years  as  much  as  four  feet,  and  each  year  the 
levees  must  be  raised  an  equal  amount.  Over  one-quarter  of  a  million 
dollars  is  expended  each  year  by  the  farmers  of  the  Imperial  Valley 
in  this  work.  The  limit  will  be  reached  soon.  Levees  forty  or  fifty 
feet  high  cannot  be  maintained. 

The  Yuma  Valley,  also,  is  protected  by  levees,  but  the  danger 
there  does  not  increase.  Arizona  hopes  to  develop  another  great  irri- 
gated valley  farther  upstream  at  Parker,  but  much  of  the  Parker  Valley 
is  now  subject  to  overflow  and  must  be  protected  by  an  expensive  sys- 
tem of  levees  unless  adequate  regulation  of  the  floodwaters  is  provided 
by  storage  reservoirs.  Regulation  of  the  Green  and  the  Grand  will  solve 
the  problem  in  large  measure,  but  tributaries  below  the  junction  must 
be  given  consideration.  On  one  occasion  a  flood  of  150,000  second- 
feet  measured  at  Bluff,  Utah,  was  contributed  by  the  San  Juan,  and 
the  Gila  River  floods  likewise  are  a  hienace  with  which  to  reckon. 

As  for  storage  to  equalize  the  supply  for  irrigation,  the  situation 
is  more  critical  than  is  commonly  known.    Despite  the  great  excess  of 


The  Colorado  River  and  Its  Development  537 

water  which  is  wasted  to  the  ocean  each  year,  there  is  an  actual  short- 
age during  the  latter  part  of  the  irrigation  season  in  dry  years.  In 
1915  the  entire  flow  of  the  river  was  diverted  into  the  Imperial  Canal 
at  the  end  of  August,  and  yet  there  was  not  enough  water  to  meet  the 
demand.  Since  that  time  the  acreage  irrigated  from  the  river  has  in- 
creased 300,000  acres.  If  the  natural  flow  next  September  is  as  low 
as  it  was  in  1915,  there  will  be  300,000  acres  of  crops  without  any  water 
to  bring  them  to  maturity,  and  the  financial  loss  and  human  suflfering 
will  be  appalling.  Again,  it  is  the  Imperial  Valley  that  is  in  danger, 
for  other  projects  have  the  advantage  of  location  upstream.  No  fur- 
ther expansion  of  irrigation  use  should  be  allowed  until  storage  is  pro- 
vided ;  it  should  be  admitted  that  the  natural  flow  is  entirely  appro- 
priated. It  does  not  seem  practicable,  however,  to  pre^^ent  continued 
appropriation  and  use  of  water  in  Utah  and  Colorado. 

But  how  can  storage  be  financed?  The  Imperial  Valley  is  bur- 
dened already  with  a  heavy  bonded  indebtedness  and  is  facing  the 
further  problem  of  the  All-American  Canal,  which  is  expected  to  cost 
$30,000,000.  The  farmers  cannot  finance  the  river  regulation  which 
they  require  and  must  have. 

Now  enters  the  third  element  of  the  great  project — power.  The 
power  possibilities  are  so  great,  and  power  is  so  valuable,  that  it  is  esti- 
mated the  sale  of  power  will  pay  for  the  entire  project.  A  few  months 
ago  the  proposal  was  to  charge  five  percent  of  the  cost  of  the  storage 
dam  to  irrigation,  ten  percent  to  flood  protection,  and  eighty-five  per- 
cent to  power.  Now  it  is  proposed  to  charge  the  entire  cost  to  the 
power  privileges.  About  4,000,000  horsepower  can  be  developed  in 
Arizona  at  the  four  sites  mentioned  above. 

Is  there  a  market  for  so  much  power?  Arizona  can  take  about 
100,000  horsepower  to  replace  present  steam  plants.  Cheap  power  will 
permit  of  increased  pump  irrigation,  the  mining  of  lower  grade  ores, 
and  the  electrification  of  our  railways.  We  shall  have  factories  where 
.our  own  raw  materials  can  be  fabricated, — cotton  mills,  copper  and  brass 
foundries;  and  the  electrolytic  refining  of  Arizona  copper  can  be  done 
in  our  own  State.  All  city  and  house  lighting  will  be  done  with  hydro- 
electric power,  and  any  excess  can  be  used  for  making  nitrate  fertilizers. 

But  other  states,  especially  California,  will  compete  for  the  power. 
A  great  amount  can  be  marketed  in  southern  California  now.     It  is 


538  BuivLETiN  95 

estimated  that  in  fifteen  years  all  possible  hydro-electric  development 
in  that  State  will  have  been  accomplished,  and  California  interests  are 
looking  much  farther  ahead  than  that. 

Nearly  all  of  the  power  requirements  of  the  mining  industry  in 
Arizona  are  now  supplied  from  petroleum  fuel  oil.  The  best  opinions 
regarding  the  future  supply  of  fuel  oil  point  to  a  diminution  of  the 
supply  and  rapidly  rising  prices.  It  is  essential  that  hydro-electric 
power  be  developed  to  replace  the  failing  oil  supply. 

PROPOSAL  OF  THK  UNITED  STATES  RECLAMATION  SERVICE 

Engineers  of  the  United  States  Reclamation  Service  have  been 
studying  the  problem  of  the  Colorado  for  eight  years,  and  have  decided 
quite  definitely  on  what  they  believe  should  be  the  first  project.  The 
Service  has  recommended  to  Congress  that  it  should  be  a  project  of  the 
Federal  Government,  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  stated  publicly 
at  the  Riverside  and  San  Diego  conventions  in  December,  1921,  that, 
because  of  the  international  and  interstate  character  of  the  river, 
the  Federal  Government  is  the  only  competent  agency  to  construct  the 
great  dam  that  must  be  built,  and  to  control  and  operate  its  gates.  He 
is  right,  and  Arizona  should  back  to  the  limit  federal  ownership  and 
operation  of  the  main  river  control  project. 

The  Reclamation  Service  recommends  that  the  dam  be  located  in 
Boulder  Canyon  on  the  boundary  line  between  Arizona  and  Nevada. 
On  account  of  the  peculiar  situation,  the  west  end  of  the  dam  would 
rest  on  the  Arizona  side.  A  transmission  line  from  that  point  to 
Phoenix  would  be  about  250  miles  long,  and  a  line  to  Los  Angeles  277 
miles  in  length.  The  proposed  600-foot  dam  provides  for  storage  for 
irrigation  and  for  storage  of  silt  for  sixty  years,  and  for  5,000,000 
acre-feet  capacity  at  the  top  to  be  used  only  for  detention  of  high  flood 
crests,  such  as  those  of  1907,  1909,  1914,  and  1920. 

Last  July,  when  Congress  was  committed  to  retrenchment,  and  it 
seemed  impossible  to  interest  the  East  in  this  most  necessary  under- 
taking, plans  were  made  to  contract  the  power  privileges  in  advance  to« 
municipalities  and  states  or  to  other  purchasers,  and  the  purchasers 
were  to  obtain  the  necessary  funds  through  sale  of  bond  issues.  The 
city  of  Los  Angeles  was  ready  to  take  all  or  as  much  of  the  power  as 
would  be  allowed  to  that  city.  Now,  it  is  believed  that  there  is  a  good 
fighting  chance  to  obtain  the  money  through   federal  appropriation, 


TH:e  Colorado  Rivkr  and  Its  Development  539 

with  ultimate  return  of  the  cost  to  the  government  by  the  sale  of 
power. 

ALTERNATIVE  PROPOSALS 

Although  crystallization  of  sentiment  in  favor  of  Boulder  Can- 
yon project  has  made  considerable  headway,  still  some  widely  divergent 
views  are  being  expressed,  and  it  may  not  be  impertinent  to  discuss 
alternative  proposals.  It  is  contended  that  for  many  reasons  the  river 
development  should  begin  farther  upstream.  That  the  Boulder  Canyon 
site  is  the  one  nearest  to  the  best  market  for  power  is  a  sound  argu- 
ment. Of  the  other  arguments  advanced  for  that  site,  some  are  not 
valid,  and  the  others  may  be  met  by  the  statement  that  extensive  stor- 
age in  the  upper  basin  can  be  followed  advantageously,  and  will  be,  by 
projects  providing  additional  storage  on  the  lower  river.  If  the  flood 
hazard  is  removed  or  is  greatly  reduced  by  means  of  extensive  storage 
in  Utah,  the  Boulder  Canyon  dam  can  be  built  at  much  less  cost  and 
in  fewer  years.  Further,  if  the  river  regulation  is  effected  in  the 
upper  basin,  the  power  sites  from  Glen  Canyon  to  Boulder  Canyon 
inclusive  become  much  more  valuable,  since  the  water  supply  is  equal- 
ized, and  because  less  reserve  space  is  required  for  detention  purposes. 
The  upper  locations  will  be  developed  eventually ;  why  not  now  ? 

From  that  standpoint,  the  Dewey  site  on  the  Grand  River  and  the 
Flaming  Gorge  site  on  the  Green  offer  the  best  solution.  Both  dams 
could  be  built  at  once,  and  the  total  cost  would  be  only  about  $25,000,- 
000.  The  Juniper  Mountain  reservoir  would  cost  $4,000,000.  These 
sites  are  above  the  great  silt-gathering  area  of  the  drainage  basin. 
The  Flaming  Gorge  and  Dewey  reservoirs  would  provide  ample  late- 
summer  water  supply  for  the  lower  basin  for  many  years  to  come.  The 
Flaming  Gorge  reservoir  would  serve  to  reduce  the  spring  floods  on 
the  Green  River  one-third,  and  the  Dewey  reservoir  would  take  the 
peak  off  from  the  spring  floods  of  the  Grand.  The  Dewey  reservoir 
would  be  operated  so  as  to  be  entirely  empty  at  the  beginning  of  the 
flood  period.  Both  dams  could  be  completed  in  five  years.  It  is 
premised,  however,  that  the  construction  of  these  dams  would  be  fol- 
lowed by  that  of  one  or  more  others  farther  downstream, — possibly 
one  on  the  San  Juan  or  at  Lee's  Ferry,  and  either  the  Diamond  Creek 
dam  or  Boulder  Canyon  dam  or  both.  The  dams  on  the  headwaters 
should  be  built  under  the  same  theory  of  government  as   were  the 


540  Buli.e;tin  95 

thirty-three  dams  on  the  Ohio  River,  that  is,  to  secure  river  regulation 
and  control,  to  make  the  stream  manageable  and  utilizable.  Navigation 
is  no  more  vital  to  the  economic  and  social  welfare  of  the  group  of 
six  states  bordering  the  Ohio  than  is  the  taming  and  harnessing  of  the 
Colorado  to  the  welfare  of  the  seven  states  along  its  course.  In  due 
time,  the  Government  might  be  reimbursed  for  the  investment,  for, 
after  the  construction  of  large  storage  reservoirs  in  Arizona,  the  Utah 
reservoirs  would  be  of  great  value  for  power  production. 

The  Diamond  Creek  project  is  capable  of  comparatively  rapid 
construction,  and  is  quite  likely  to  go  ahead  of  the  Boulder  dam  in 
point  of  time.  It  would  be  a  strictly  Arizona  enterprise,  and  free  from 
the  entangling  jurisdictions  that  are  inevitable  in  the  larger  projects. 
It  does  not  in  any  way  lessen  the  necessity  for  the  Boulder  dam  or 
some  other  dam  which  can  provide  storage  and  flood  control. 

Another  proposal  is  to  make  the  Lee's  Ferry  reservoir  the  first 
major  undertaking.  On  account  of  the  type  of  dam  planned,  the  ex- 
tent of  flooding  in  the.  river  during  construction  would  be  immaterial. 
This  reservoir  as  planned  would  store  30  percent  more  water  than 
the  Boulder  Canyon  reservoir,  the  production  of  power  would  be  much 
greater,  and  the  cost  would  be  less.  However,  on  account  of  the 
radical  design  and  proposed  methods  of  construction,  the  project  should 
be  submitted  to  the  best  engineering  talent  in  the  world  before  it  can 
be  right  or  wise  to  adopt  it. 

WATEJR  RIGHTS 

The  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  has  decided  that  in  the 
case  of  interstate  streams  in  the  arid  region,  neither  the  riparian 
theory  of  water  rights  nor  the  priority  of  appropriation  theory  can 
obtain,  but  that  each  State  is  entitled  to  benefits  from  the  river, — to 
substantial  benefits.  Presumably,  the  distribution  of  benefits  must  be 
made  by  the  federal  court.  But  in  the  case  of  the  Colorado  River, 
where  there  is  water  enough  for  all,  there  seems  to  be  no  necessity  for 
any  litigation. 

The  states  of  the  upper  basin  seem  to  fear  that  the  construction 
of  large  reservoirs  will  serve  automatically  to  appropriate  the  waters 
of  the  river  for  use  in  the  lower  basin,  and  that  additional  development 
of  irrigation  in  the  upper  states  will  be  prevented.  Oft-repeated  asser- 
tions of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  and  the  United  States 


Thk  Colorado  Rivkr  and  Its  D^vielopment  541 

Reclamation  Service  that  the  water  supply  is  ample  and  adequate  for 
all  of  the  irrigable  lands  of  both  upper  and  lower  basins  have  not 
served  to  allay  the  fear.  Another  cause  of  alarm  in  Colorado  is  the 
doubt  as  to  whether  that  State  will  be  allowed  to  divert  310,000  acre- 
feet  of  water  per  year  from  the  Colorado  basin,  through  tunnels  at 
narrow  places  in  the  watershed,  for  use  on  the  plains  north  and  east 
of  Denver,  as  is  desired. 

The  upper  states  therefore  are  demanding  a  guarantee  of  unre- 
stricted irrigation  development  in  the  upper  basin,  before  they  will 
lend  their  support,  or  consent,  to  a  federal  project  in  the  canyon  region. 
The  lower  basin  states  are  asking  for  an  allotment  of  the  water  supply 
among  the  seven  states. 

The  wisdom  of  a  perpetual  guarantee  or  of  an  allotment  of  the 
waters  of  the  river  is  questionable.  On  no  other  river  basin  has 
either  been  attempted.  It  is  not  possible  to  forsee  conditions  a  hun- 
dred years  ahead,  or  even  thirty  years  ahead.  All  irrigators  who  are 
putting  the  water  to  beneficial  use  should  be  protected,  but  in  prin- 
ciple it  may  be  exceedingly  dangerous  to  reserve  a  valuable  water 
supply  for  a  project  which  may  prove  to  be  of  doubtful  feasibility. 
If  an  allotment  of  the  water  is  attempted,  most  of  the  seven  states 
will  advance  extravagant  claims  to  water.  Some  of  the  states  most 
involved  have  no  adequate  conception  of  the  feasibility  of  their 
projects,  and  no  just  allotment  can  be  made  without  thorough  surveys 
of  all  proposed  irrigation  lands.  It  is  unlikely  that  any  allotment  can 
be  proposed  which  will  not  be  held  up  in  some  legislature  for  many 
years,  and  meanwhile  the  ruin  of  the  Imperial  Valley  may  be  ac- 
complished. 

There  is  no  necessity  for  a  distribution  of  the  unused  water  rights 
at  this  time.  If  the  act  to  appropriate  money  for  a  Colorado  River 
project  shall  state  as  follows,  "Provided,  that  nothing  in  this  Act  shall 
be  so  construed  as  to  affect  in  any  way  the  rights  to  the  use  of  the 
waters  of  the  Colorado  Basin  of  any  state  or  any  part  of  a  state,"  then 
the  upper  states  cannot  be  affected  adversely  by  the  project. 

The  average  annual  discharge  of  the  river  into  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia is  13,000,000  acre- feet.  The  projects  of  the  upper  basin  are 
such  that  probably  no  more  than  3,000,000  acre- feet  of  water  addi- 
tional can  be  consumed  in  those  projects,  and  the  balance  of  10,000,000 


542  Bulletin  95 

acre- feet  is  more  than  twice  as  much  as  the  states  of  the  lower  basin 
can  use, —  at  least  until  a  different  economic  order  shall  prevail. 

Congress,  through  the  Mondell  act,  has  provided  for  a  Colorado 
River  Commission,  consisting  of  one  representative  from  each  of  the 
seven  states,  and  one  from  the  Federal  Government.  The  Commis- 
sion is  now  organized  with  Herbert  Hoover  as  its  chairman,  repre- 
senting the  Federal  Government.  The  purpose  expressed  in  the 
Mondell  Act  is  the  negotiation  of  a  compact  or  agreement,  providing 
for  an  equitable  division  or  apportionment  of  the  water  supply  among 
the  seven  states. 

NAVIGABIUTY 

The  existing  treaty  with  Mexico  declares  the  Colorado  River  to 
be  a  navigable  stream,  and  a  federal  court  prohibited  any  action  which 
might  interfere  with  its  navigability.  The  diversion  of  water  for 
irrigation,  therefore,  is  contrary  to  the  treaty.  As  soon  as  diplomatic 
relations  with  Mexico  are  re-established,  steps  should  be  taken  to 
amend  the  treaty  in  so  far  as  it  affects  the  Colorado.  The  river 
should  be  declared  to  be  an  unnavigable  stream. 

Arizona's  program 

Arizona  owns  the  Colorado  River  bed,  or  half  of  it,  for  580  miles. 
We  do  not  own  the  water.  We  do  not  have  unlimited  millions  of 
wealth  to  invest  in  the  Colorado  enterprises,  nor  many  votes  in  Con- 
gress. We  should  endeavor  to  cooperate  with  our  neighbor  states. 
When  the  seven  states  agree  upon  a  plan  of  action,  the  extreme 
urgency  of  the  case  will  secure  the  appropriation  needed. 

With  regard  to  some  features  of  the  project,  Arizonans  will  ex- 
press their  opinions,  but  should  not  insist  upon  them.  The  immediate 
construction  of  the  storage  dam  and  the  height  of  dam  and  the  type 
of  dam  are  far  more  vital  to  California  than  to  us.  Nothing  can  pre- 
vent our  obtaining  all  the  power  the  State  can  use,  both  now,  and  for 
fifty  years  to  come.  Our  preferential  rights  to  power  are  recognized. 
Also,  it  is  proposed  to  grant  Arizona  and  Nevada  each  a  free  block 
of  power  at  Boulder  site.  Our  concern  must  be  to  insure  that  there 
shall  be  no  monopoly  of  power  by  a  single  corporation,  and  that 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  State  shall  be  able  to  receive  power  at 
equitable  rates. 

We  should  pledge  the  State's  honor  to  the  states  of  the  upper 


The  Colorado  River  and  Its  Development  543 

basin  that  any  construction  of  dams  for  the  benefit  of  the  lower  basin 
shall  not  prejudice  in  any  way  their  equitable  rights. 

But,  the  irrigation  of  our  lands  we  must  insist  on;  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Parker  project  of  110,000  acres  and  of  the  Mohave  Valley 
of  27,000  acres,  and  of  the  Cibola  Valley  of  15,000  acres,  and  that 
the  right  to  double  the  acreage  under  irrigation  at  Yuma,  as  is  con- 
templated, shall  not  be  denied.  It  will  require  at  least  two  new 
diversion  dams  similar  to  the  Laguna  dam,  and  they  must  be  started 
in  time  to  be  finished  when  the  storage  dam  is  finished.  The  great 
river  control  dam  and  the  power  will  be  secured  largely  because  Cali- 
fornia is  fighting  with  us.  But  for  the  irrigation  of  Arizona  lands 
we  must  fight  alone.  It  does  not  follow  necessarily  that  our  lands 
will  be  irrigated  if  the  Boulder  dam  or  Lee's  Ferry  dam  is  built.  Pro- 
vision for  the  Parker  diversion  dam  should,  if  possible,  be  put  into 
the  act  which  shall  provide  for  the  larger  project.  Be  it  said  also, 
that  the  Parker  and  Mohave  projects  do  not  have  the  usual  influential 
citizens  and  real  estate  boosters  to  present  their  claims.  They  are 
still  under  the  care  of  the  United  States  Indian  Service.  Congress 
passed  an  act  for  their  opening  to  entry  several  years  ago,  and  the 
matter  is  now  sleeping.  There  are  only  a  few  Indians,  and  they  have 
received  allotments.  It  is  the  finest  opportunity  in  the  whole  United 
States  to  provide  lands  for  former  service  men,  not  less  than  3500  of 
them.    The  State  of  Arizona  has  got  to  speak  loudly  for  those  projects. 

Lastly,  the  high-line  irrigation  project  —  what  of  it?  It  has  been 
claimed  that  if  the  high  dam  is  located  in  Boulder  Canyon,  water  can 
be  turned  into  a  canal  on  a  high  level,  and  led  through  the  mountain 
passes  of  Mohave  County,  across  Bill  Williams  River,  through  the 
Bouse  Valley  to  Harrisburg  Valley,  and  down  the  Centennial  Wash  to 
the  Gila  River.  The  writer  has  studied  all  the  available  data,  and  is  of 
the  opinion  that  the  project  is  not  feasible.  Regardless  of  how  desira- 
ble it  would  be  to  bring  under  irrigation  from  the  Colorado  River  an 
extensive  area  of  elevated  desert  land,  yet  it  is  better  for  the  people 
of  Arizona  to  dream  no  vague  dreams,  and  to  concentrate  all  eflForts 
to  obtain  those  developments  which  are  practicable. 

In  the  first  place,  the  high-line  project  would  require  a  dam  500 
or  600  feet  high  to  raise  the  water  to  the  level  of  the  canal.  A  great 
reservoir  of  dead  storage  water  would  be  created,  for  the  water  level 
could  never  again  be  allowed  to  fall  below  the  elevation  of  the  canal. 


544  BuLLEjTiN  95 

Storage  to  regulate  and  equalize  the  water  supply  must  be  provided 
by  building  the  dam  considerably  higher  than  the  canal  level  or  by 
means  of  another  reservoir,  preferably  at  Lee's  Ferry.  Probably  there 
would  be  two  great  dams  required  instead  of  one. 

The  high-line  canal  would  be  built  along  the  rough  mountain 
sides  of  Mohave  County,  but  no  water  could  be  taken  through  the 
Sacramento  Valley  Pass  or  through  any  other  pass  to  lands  behind 
the  mountain  range  that  borders  the  river,  in  that  county. 

Assuming  an  elevation  of  1200  feet  above  sea  level  for  the  canal 
at  its  head,  the  elevation  in  the  vicinity  of  Bouse  would  be  about  1050 
feet,  120  feet  lower  than  the  proposed  canal  that  is  designed  to  irri- 
gate the  Bouse  Valley  from  the  Williams  River.  About  90,000  acres 
in  the  Bouse  Valley  could  be  irrigated  by  pumping  from  the  canal. 
By  boosting  the  water  350  feet  by  means  of  pumps,  the  water  could 
be  led  to  Vicksburg,  and  then  another  boost  of  500  feet  would  deliver 
it  into  the  Harrisburg  Valley,  or,  perhaps  it  would  be  cheaper  to 
avoid  the  last-named  lift  by  tunneling  through  the  Little  Harquahala 
Mountains.  It  would  be  more  feasible  to  leave  the  Little  Harquahalas 
and  Coyote  Mountain  to  the  east  of  the  canal,  but  even  so,  the  pump- 
ing lift  would  be  impractical.  The  maximum  area  that  could  be 
brought  under  such  a  high  line  system  would  be  less  than  a  million 
acres,  mostly  in  Yuma  County. 

As  an  alternative  proposal,  the  water  for  the  high-line  canal  might 
be  dropped  at  the  high  dam,  generating  power,  and  this  power  could 
be  used  to  lift  the  water  from  the  river  near  Parker  into  a  high-line 
canal  starting  at  that  point.  The  electrical  transmission  losses  would 
be  no  larger  in  percentage  than  the  seepage  and  evaporation  losses 
of  water  from  the  260  miles  of  canal;  and  the  investment  would  be 
less.  About  one  kilowatt  would  be  required  per  acre  irrigated  for 
the  main  lift  to  elevation  1060  at  Parker,  requiring  an  investment 
of  about  $100  per  acre  for  power  equipment,  while  the  cost  of  the 
canal  from  the  high  dam  to  Parker  would  be  more  than  twice  as 
much.  The  value  of  the  power  used  on  this  one  lift,  per  irrigated 
acre,  at  one-half  cent  per  kilowatt-hour,  would  be  about  $30  per 
year.  Neither  proposition  is  feasible,  at  least  not  during  the  present 
generation.  An  investment  of  over  $300  per  acre  would  be  required. 
The  best  raw  valley  land  in  Arizona  cannot  stand  a  construction  charge 


The  Colorado  River  and  Its  Development  545 

for  irrigation  over  $150  per  acre. 

There  is  one  possibility  for  which  plans  and  estimates  should  per- 
haps be  prepared.  This  is  the  possibility  of  pumping  from  the  river 
at  or  near  Cocopah  Point,  near  the  head  of  Laguna  Lake,  on  a  lift  of 
about  350  feet,  to  a  canal  which  would  then  run  easterly  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Lower  Gila  Valley,  crossing  the  river  near  Sentinel,  and 
running  thence  on  grade  toward  the  southwest,  covering  about  250,000 
acres  of  land.  Power  could  be  generated  at  Cocopah  Point  by  means 
of  a  low  rock-fill  dam,  after  river  regulation  has  been  secured  farther 
upstream.    This  project  may  be  practicable  twenty  years  hence. 

THE  GILA  RIVER  SYSTEM 

It  seems  to  have  been  forgotten  that  the  Gila  tributary  is  a  vital 
element  of  the  Colorado  River,  and  that  the  study  of  Colorado  River 
problems  must  take  cognizance  of  the  necessity  for  river  regulation 
on  the  Gila.  Be  it  remembered  that  it  was  the  Gila  River  floods,  five 
of  them,  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1905,  which  were  responsible 
for  the  great  disaster  of  that  year,  when  in  August  the  whole  of  the 
river  was  diverted  into  Imperial  Valley.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
continuous  high  water  and  repeated  floods  in  the  Gila,  the  narrow  cut 
from  the  temporary  heading  of  the  Imperial  Canal  could  have  been 
closed  easily.  The  Gila  flood  of  January  22,  1916,  was  greater  than 
the  highest  recorded  flood  of  the  Colorado  itself.  River  regulation 
of  the  Gila  River  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  security  of  Yuma 
and  Imperial  valleys. 

About  seven  years  ago  when  the  Federal  Government  began  a 
comprehensive  study  of  Colorado  River  problems,  the  Gila  River 
was  included  in  the  studies.  The  plans  prepared  by  the  United  States 
Reclamation  Service  at  that  time  provided  for  regulation  of  the  Gila 
by  means  of  a  dam  225  feet  high  near  Sentinel,  Arizona.  The  reser- 
voir was  to  be  operated  for  stream  regulation  only,  and  would  have 
been  of  little  service  in  reclaiming  desert  lands  between  Sentinel  and 
Yuma.  In  1918  borings  were  made  at  the  dam  site  by  the  Reclama- 
tion Service,  and  it  was  ascertained  that  suitable  foundations  for  a 
storage  dam  do  not  exist;   hence  the  Sentinel  project  was  abandoned. 

In  1920,  the  Reclamation  Service  made  an  extensive  study  of  the 
Gila  River  from  source  to  mouth,  examining  all  possible  storage  sites. 
It  was  concluded  that  the  best  solution  of  water  problems  of  the  Gila 
River  is  the  construction  of  the  San  Carlos  dam.    The  report  of  the 


546  Bulletin  95 

Engineer,  Mr.  C.  C.  Fisher,  favors  a  dam  250  feet  high  above  bedrock, 
about  20  feet  lower  than  the  Roosevelt  dam.  Mr.  Fisher  finds  that 
the  irrigation  project  should  have  an  area  of  148,000  acres.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1921,  a  board  of  engineers  of  the  United  States  Reclamation 
Service  reviewed  the  Fisher  report.  The  board  recommends  that  the 
dam  to  be  first  constructed  be  200  feet  in  height,  and  that  in  the  next 
generation,  thirty  years  hence,  the  height  be  raised  to  250  feet.  The 
board  states  that  such  a  project  is  entirely  feasible,  provided  satis- 
factory arrangements  can  be  made  with  the  Arizona  Eastern  Railroad, 
the  line  of  which  passes  through  the  reservoir  site. 

The  San  Carlos  dam  must  be  constructed.  Furthermore,  storage 
must  be  provided  on  the  Verde  River.  Additional  storage  is  needed 
on  the  Salt  River,  and  with  this  additional  storage  will  come  24,000 
additional  hydro-electric  horsepower  at  the  Horse  Mesa  dam.  It 
is  hoped,  too,  that  a  feasible  storage  project  on  the  Agua  Fria  can  be 
accomplished,  and  perhaps  the  Walnut  Grove  dam  will  be  rebuilt  at 
some  time.  Each  one  of  these  projects  will  reduce  materially  the 
flood  crests  of  the  lower  Gila  River. 

FINAL 

Arizona's  program,  therefore,  should  be: — 

1.  To  encourage  all  development  projects,  both  public  and  pri- 
vate, on  the  Colorado  River.  In  the  case  of  publicly  owned  projects, 
the  State  must  receive  a  block  of  free  power  in  lieu  of  taxes. 

2.  To  demand  that  as  much  power  be  allotted  to  this  State  as 
can  be  used  by  this  State. 

3.  To  demand  that  the  federal  project  include  a  diversion  dam 
at  Bull's  Head  Rock  at  the  head  of  Mohave  Valley  and  one  at  Gate- 
head  Rock  at  the  head  of  the  Parker  Valley. 

4.  To  demand  that  provision  for  river  regulation  on  the  Gila 
River  be  included  in  the  federal  program. 

In  the  above  exposition  of  the  Colorado  River  problems  and  pro- 
posals, I  have  presented  the  case  from  the  Arizona  viewpoint.  Ari- 
zona's future  is  to  a  high  degree  wrapped  up  in  the  development  of 
the  Colorado.  The  highest  statesmanship  is  demanded  at  this  time 
that  the  latent  wealth  of  this  great  natural  resource  may  be  wisely 
and  speedily  secured  and  that  this  Commonwealth  may  share  in  its 
benefits  in  the  largest  practicable  measure. 


l6    9  55|; 


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